Hustle and bustle, movement and activities; Celadon City was the same as always, but spectacularly more so today. Or was it more? The sun felt it in the sky above, turning everything vivid in Fire’s eyes, threatening to make him pay for the baseball jacket he wore zipped to the chin he snaps back down, dipping his gaze towards the concrete while turning on his heel in a hurry.
—He looked too long. What if someone recognised him?
God, why would anyone recognise him? Him? Seriously?
But that was the problem. People did now, and he still wasn't sure how to deal with that.
It was stupid for this day of all days to care. He was in town on purpose, a time he was supposed to be recognised. He'd agreed to it, even: the League wanted him to do a nice interview, nothing too prying, and they'd even promised to not ask too much about Team Rocket out of respect ( 'not too much', he realised later, still meant something ).
Fire kicks invisible stones inbetween footsteps leading him down a familiar trail greeted by flowerbeds on one side, trees branch to branch on another. Why he was going this way, was a reason ( an excuse ) he was still deciding in his mind, his feet quicker than his brain.
Far quicker. The doors of the gym sit before him in little time, repelling him, his hand refusing to push against the handle that it awkwardly rests against.
( You promised, Fire — )
He dismisses the hesitation, proceeds, and allows the overwhelming smell of flowers to consume his airways in the inhale he immediately takes as the entrance closes behind him.
There was nothing to be so worked up about, he was fine; he wasn’t going to be late for anything! It probably wasn’t even the right day! There was absolutely no reason to think about any of it—
A couple of gym trainers give him wary looks that he misses as he makes his way through the flower paths, spotting the exact figure he was going to devote his entire attention to.
“Erika!”
Hands shoved in pockets, shoulders tense and his face very very normal—
—Fire was the picture of Absolutely Normal, Nothing Wrong With Me that anyone could believe in.
“Got room for one more? What’s up?”
He was even rocking on his heels, and definitely not nervously. Today was a very normal day, this a very normal visit.
{ ♕ } — In which Touko travels to Snowpoint City severely under-prepared.
@ecfloresco
It was half-way over the low ridge of Mt. Coronet that Touko began to seriously doubt her decision of traveling to Snowpoint City. The brunette had underestimated the frosty climate of the mountains, which - if she had heard right from the previous town - would remain just as dreadful in the city itself, and was quick to realize that the light clothing she had on would not provide much warmth.
In her defense, she had tried to dress warmly. Under her shorts she had slipped on some wool leggings, and over her sleeveless jacket she had pulled on a reasonably heavy Parka. She figured her travel boots would be sufficient enough, but she had relented and purchased a scarf before heading out. However, the weather proved to be more treacherous than she had thought, with icy winds and sharp flakes of snow ripping right through her defenses.
“H-how are you holding up, S-Sebastian?” With her face all but buried into the avian’s back, Touko wasn’t sure if he heard her at all. The Braviary road the wind torrents up and over the mountain peak with all the grace he could muster - his wings pounding a relentless rhythm as he tried to keep himself steady for his trainer’s sake. His trainer’s added weight typically didn’t bother him much in calmer weather; but with the aggressive gusts of wind working against them, it was all he could do to keep them in the air.
It seemed like a lifetime before they fully crossed over the mountain range; their travels made easier with the wind finally at their back. But the journey had taken its toll on Sebastian, the avian’s exhaustion forcing him to land three-quarters down Route 217.
“Great job, Sebastian. You did well.” Touko assured, giving his beak an affectionate stroke. “I’ll take it from here. Go ahead and rest.” Sebastian cooed softly, easily returning to his offered Pokeball. Once he was safely inside, she slipped the ball back into her bag and gave the outside cover a soft pat. Seemed like she would be walking the rest of the way.
“Right ...” Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, she glanced ahead of her contemplatively. The Acuity Lakefront was just visible on the horizon; if she made good time, Touko was sure she would be able to make it to Snowpoint by nightfall.
“Arceus forbid I end up camping outside tonight. I’d turn into a frozen Popsicle in an hour!”
So far the famed Mt Moon wasn’t quite living up to its reputation. Miyu had hoped to see a Clefairy or two in the rocky tunnels running through the mountain but so far she had been sorely disappointed -- nothing here but a few creepy-crawly Paras and a whole bunch of impossibly annoying Zubat. Miyu hadn’t even seen another person yet, until--
Well, the guide pamphlet that she had picked up at the Pokemon Center near the cave entrance did say that people frequently used the passage beneath Mt Moon to travel between Pewter City and Cerulean City but the woman there looked so elegant and almost princess-like. Miyu wasn’t one to judge a person by their appearance but with her ornate dress and graceful mannerisms she looked very out of place in the dark cave. She certainly didn’t appear to be an ordinary traveler.
A very sudden, loud sound distracted her from her thoughts as the rocky ground shuddered, nearly knocking her off of her feet. Miyu held her arms out in front of her to steady herself as the shaking subsided; she had a very bad feeling about what had just happened.
"Oh, yikes.” Miyu turned around to see a wall of rocks and debris directly behind her. She gently kicked a pebble that had broken free from the pile and rolled to her feet. “I guess I’m lucky that didn’t hit me.”
" Oh... might those be some Hibiscus? They're quite beautiful, aren't they? " Don't mind her, giving immediate attention to any flower in her vicinity-- Here's the Nature Princess!
Alola, we’re so happy you have an eye for nature! We’ve got tons of greenery around here so please, make yourself at home!
Follow the master list and try not to stop and smell the roses, go on already!
